Geranium pratense 
Crowfoot Cranesbill 
GERANIUM Lin. Gen. PI. Monadelfhia DecandRia. 
Monogyna. Stigmat. J'. FruEtus roftratus, 5-coccus. 
RaiiSyn. Gen. 24. ITerb A Prntarrtala Vasculiferre. 
GERANIUM pratenfe pedunculis bifloris, foliis fubpeltatis multipartitis rugofis acutis, petalis integris. 
Lin. Syft. Veget, p. 514. Sp. PL p. 954- Su!c • n - 9 68 - 
GERANIUM caule ereflo, foliis rugofis hirfutis multilobis, lobis trifidis, lobulis femipinnatis, floribus 
umbellatis. Haller . Hifl. n. 931. 
GERANIUM pratenfe Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 852. 
GERANIUM batrachoides, Gratia Dei Germanorum. ‘Bank. Pin. 318. 
GERANIUM Batrachoides. Ger. emac. 922. 
GERANIUM Batrachoides flore cseruleo. Park. 704- Ra " Syn. ed. 3. p. 360. Crowfoot Cranefbill. 
Hudfon FI. Angl. ed. 2. p. 302. Lightjoot FI. Scot. p. 368. 
RADIX perennis, craflltie digiti minimi aut major, hori- 
zontalis, rugoia, e rubro fufca, intus flavefcens, 
fibris majufculis profunde penetrantibus in-' 
ftrufta. 
CAULIS pedalis ad tripedalem, ere&us, ramofus, tereti- 
ufculus, pubefcens, bafl ruberrimus, fuban- 
gulofus. 
FOLIA hirfutula, radicalia longiflime petiolata, fuprema' 
fubfeffilia, omnib'us multipartitis, venofis, fub- 
tus pallidioribus, lacinis multifidis, incifis. 
PETIOLI teretes, pubefcentes. 
STIPULAE ad bafin foliorum utrinque binae, ovato acu- 
minata:, primo rubicund®, dein marcefcentes, 
ad bafin pedunculorum quin®, lanceolat®. 
PEDUNCULI gemini, pilofiffimi, vifcofi, primo nu- 
tantes, demum eredi. 
FLORES magni, fpeciofi, e purpureo cterulei. 
CALYX: Periantiiium pentaphyllum, perfidens, fo- 
liolis ovatis, acutis, concavis, margine mem- 
branaceis. Jig. 1. 
COROLLA : Petala quinque, fubintegerrima, venofa, 
bafi utrinque hirfutula. Jig. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta decem fubulata, fuperne 
purpurafcentia, inferne lata, albida ; Anthers 
oblongs, cterule®, incumbentes. Jig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen pentagonum, vifcofum, viride; 
Stylus filiformis, rubicundus, flaminibus | 
longior ; Stigma quinquefidum, laciniis li- 
nearibus, reflexis. Jig. 4. 
SEMEN oblongum, laeve, ex arillo elaflice difliliens.' Jig. ' 
5, 6- 
• ROOT perennial, the thicknefs of the little finger, or 
larger, horizontal, wrinkled, of a reddifh 
brown colour, yellowifh within, furnifhed with 
largifh fibres, which penetrate to a great depth. 
: STALK from one to three feet in height, upright, 
; branched, roundifh, downy, very red, and fome- 
• what angular at the bottom. 
; LEAVES fomewhat hirfute, thofe next the root, ftanding 
on very long footftalks, the uppermoft ones 
nearly feflile, all of them deeply divided into 
; many fegments, veiny and paler underneath, 
: the fegments jagged. 
: LEAF-STALKS round and downy. 
: STIPULE at the bafe of the leaves two on each fide, 
ovate and pointed, at firft reddifli, afterwards 
withering, thofe at the bafe of the peduncles 
five in number, and lanceolate. 
FLOWER-STALKS growing two together, very hairy, 
clammy, at firft drooping, laftly upright. 
FLOWERS large, fhowy, of a purplifti blue colour. 
CALYX: a Perianthium of five leaves and perma- 
nent, the leaves ovate, pointed, concave, 
bearded, clammy, ribbed and membranous at 
the edge. Jig. 1. 
COROLLA : five Petals, nearly entire, veiny, hairy 
on each fide the bale. Jig. 2. 
STAMINA : ten Filaments, tapering, purplifh above, 
below broad and whitifh ; Anther.® oblong, 
blue and incumbent. Jig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen pentagonal, clammy, of a 
green colour; Style filiform, reddifli, longer 
than the flamina ; Stigma divided into five 
fegments, which are linear and turned back. 
fig- 4- 
SEED oblong, fmooth, thrown from the feed-covering 
with confiderable elafticity. Jig. 5, 6. 
This is by far the moft fhowy of the Cranefbills growing wild with us, and in that refpe£t is exceeded by none 
of the Englifh ones except the Sanguineum. Its leaves are large, and fomewhat like thofe of the Meadow Crow- 
foots, whence its name. 
Its beauty has longfince recommended it to the notice of the curious in flowers, in the gardens of which we find 
it not only as it commonly occurs, but alfo with white, purple, andftriped blpffoms. 
It loves a moift fituation, as it naturally grows wild in meadows, which it ornaments with its blofloms in July 
and Auguft. Near London it is found in tolerate abundance in the meadows about Batterfea, and in the vicinity 
of the Thames both above and below bridge; in many parts of Torkjhire, particularly about Settle, it is almoft as com- 
mon as the Mallow is with us, not only in meadows, but every where under their ftone walls. 
The blofloms are much reforted to by various fpecies of flies, particularly thofe of the Genus Empis. 
